1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for handling and validating flexible sheets or documents. More specifically, the present invention relates to a device for validating banknotes that also includes the capability to print and dispense flexible documents such as coupons, vouchers or tickets.
2. Description of the Related Prior Art
Various types of banknote validators are known in the art. A conventional banknote validator is disclosed in EP-B-1,415,281.
With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, EP-B-1,415,281 describes a banknote validator 100 comprising a cash box 101, a banknote transport mechanism 102, and a hingedly attached lid 103. The upper front portion of the lid 3 supports a bezel 104 that includes a banknote aperture 105 for receiving banknotes requiring validation.
A banknote 107 input through the banknote aperture 105 is transported in an infeed direction 108 via operation of a pair of flexible continuous drive belts 106. The note path traversed by the banknote 107 continues to the underside of the banknote transport mechanism 102 from where it may be deposited into the cash box 101 via a pusher mechanism (not shown).
It is common for devices such as gaming machines or vending machines, which typically host a banknote validator as shown in FIG. 1, to print vouchers or tickets to be dispensed to a user of the machine. Such tickets can be of a promotional type or they can be printed with a barcode that represents a prize or a cash value redeemable from either the machine from which it was printed or from a remote location.
Conventionally, host machines will include a device for the printing of vouchers or tickets in combination with a separate device for accepting/dispensing banknotes.
FIG. 3 shows a device which combines banknote validation with voucher printing. The illustrated banknote validator 1 comprises a validator module 2, a printer module 3, a cash box 4, and a bezel 5. The printer module 3 includes a print media holder 6 in which a roll of print media 7 is accommodated. Here, the roll of print media 7 provides a continuous supply of paper onto which a media printer device [not shown] prints the required information. This information can be in the form of a barcode, promotional advertising, or any such other printable information. Once printed upon, the print media is cut to form a ticket or voucher which is dispensed to a user.
As schematically shown in FIG. 4, the printed ticket 7′ is transported to an input/output aperture 5′ located on a user accessible front face of the bezel 5. The ticket 7′ is transported by a banknote transport mechanism 9 operating in a reverse direction to that employed when a banknote is being received from a user.
A problem exists with the arrangement shown in FIG. 4 in that the length of the ticket 7′, and hence the amount of information printable upon it, is limited by the physical length of the banknote transport mechanism 9, since to print a ticket which exits the input/output aperture 5′ before the print operation is complete makes possible the situation in which the user can attempt to withdraw the ticket by pulling it in a direction indicated by arrow 8′ [see FIG. 5]. In this event it is likely that the printing process will be compromised by, for example, smudging due to the recipient tugging on the leading edge of the ticket protruding from the bezel 5 and/or the ticket tearing or breaking at some point along its length due to the applied tugging force. The present invention arose from attempts to overcome this problem.